Bryson DeChambeau receives two-stroke penalty at British Open after ruling

The second round of the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale concluded on Friday, July 17, with a high-stakes rules dispute that significantly altered the tournament leaderboard. American golfer Bryson DeChambeau, who had finished his round believing he was at 7-under par and in sole possession of second place, was assessed a two-stroke penalty by the R&A. The ruling converted his bogey-5 on the fifth hole into a triple-bogey 7, moving his official second-round score from 66 to 68 and dropping him into a tie for fifth place at 5-under for the tournament.

The infraction centered on Rule 8.1a, which restricts how a player may interact with the area surrounding their ball. During his second shot on the par-4 fifth, DeChambeau’s drive had landed in thick, waist-high fescue grass. Television footage captured the golfer maneuvering in the tall vegetation before playing his shot. R&A officials later determined that in doing so, DeChambeau had inadvertently tamped down grass, thereby improving the conditions for his backswing.

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Following his round, DeChambeau was informed of the potential violation. In an effort to contest the interpretation of his actions, he and R&A officials returned to the fifth hole by golf cart. During the review, which was broadcast live, DeChambeau was seen waving his arms and pointing at the site of the lie in a heated exchange. After approximately 15 minutes of debate, the group returned to the scoring area.

Grant Moir, the R&A’s executive director of governance, later confirmed the two-stroke penalty, stating that the rule applies regardless of whether a player intended to gain an advantage. "An improvement means to alter one or more of the conditions affecting the stroke so that the player gains a potential advantage for the stroke. Now, I’ll stress that this applies even when the action is accidental, as it was in Bryson’s case," Moir explained. He further clarified that while a player is permitted to take reasonable actions to identify their ball or take a stance, they are required to choose the "least intrusive course of action" and are not entitled to a normal swing when conditions are difficult.

The aftermath of the ruling saw a period of uncertainty regarding DeChambeau’s participation in the remainder of the championship. His agent, Brett Falkoff, initially declined to confirm whether his client would play on Saturday, telling reporters, "Your guess is as good as mine." Falkoff defended the golfer against the controversy, stating, "He’s a lot of things; he’s not a cheater."

After leaving the scoring area, DeChambeau bypassed the waiting media and headed to the practice range, where he remained until after 10:30 p.m. Local time, hitting balls in the dark. Throughout the session, he occasionally engaged with reporters, at one point asking, "What do you guys think of the swing right now?" and offering members of the press snacks from his bag.

The ambiguity surrounding his future in the tournament was resolved shortly after midnight on Saturday, July 18, when DeChambeau posted a statement on X: "Obviously disappointed with the ruling. I don’t agree with it, but it is what it is. This fires me up. Onto the weekend. Let’s get it."

The penalty resulted in a reshuffling of the tournament schedule. The tournament lead is held by Lucas Herbert, who enters the weekend at 8-under 132.